Existing microelectronic device packages typically include a microelectronic die attached to a support member, such as a printed circuit board. Bond-pads or other terminals on the die are electrically connected to corresponding terminals on the support member with solder balls, wire bonds, or other types of connectors. The die and the connectors can be protected by encapsulating the die to form a device package. The package can then be electrically connected to other microelectronic devices or circuits in many types of consumer or industrial electronic products.
Manufacturers are under continuous pressure to reduce the size of the electronic products. Accordingly, microelectronic die manufacturers seek to reduce the size of the packaged dies incorporated into the electronic products. The height of the packaged dies is often reduced by grinding the backside of the wafer to thin the dies before singulating the wafer and encapsulating the dies. One drawback with this approach, however, is that thin wafers are extremely fragile and therefore difficult to handle after backgrinding.
One approach for addressing this drawback is to attach a relatively thick wafer support to the wafer for the grinding process to ensure survival of the wafer as well as to facilitate subsequent handling of the wafer for further processing. One system, for example, includes attaching a wafer to a wafer support using a light-activated adhesive material. The wafer support is removed after the wafer is processed and the resulting thin wafer is ready for further processing and/or packaging. This system, however, has several drawbacks. One drawback with this system is that subsequent processing steps using lasers or deep UV light may weaken the bond of the light-activated adhesive. As a result, the wafer may become unstable and/or completely break away from the wafer support. Another drawback with this system is that the processing equipment is proprietary and relatively expensive.
Because of the problems with the light-activated adhesive described above, a variety of other adhesives have been used to attach the wafer to the wafer support. These additional types of adhesives, however, also include a number of drawbacks. One drawback with many adhesive materials, for example, is that it can be difficult to remove the adhesive from the wafer after processing. The removal process, for example, may require heat and/or solvents. Accordingly, the wafer can be vulnerable to damage and/or breakage during removal of the adhesive material. For example, solvents can effectively remove the adhesive materials if applied to appropriate areas of the wafer. It can be difficult, however, to control application of the solvent materials and the solvents may contact sensitive portions of the individual dies and damage and/or contaminate the dies. Thus, there is a need to improve the handling of microfeature workpieces during processing.